Pulley



(No Model.) Q2 Sheets-Sheet I.

W.- H. DODGE.

PULLEY.

Patentd Mar. 25, 1890.-

12117931101 MO Y (No Model.)

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. H. DODGE.

I PULLEY. No. 24,101. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

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Aw-(67% 1y MM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVALLACE H. DODGE, OF MISHAXVAKA, INDIANA.

PULLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,101, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed $eptember 19, 1887. Serial No.250,077- (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE H. DODGE, of Mishawaka, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pulleys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and accurate description of the same.

. The objectof this improvement is to prevent the accumulation of dust within the rim and on the arms of band-pulleys, and to protect persons in the vicinity from accidental ingury. As to the first point, it is applicable to allindustrial establishments where portions of the material used are converted into dust, such as flouring-mills,wood-working establishments, silk and cotton mills, 850. By way of llustration it may be mentioned that in flourin'g-mills where roller-machines are employed there are six or more pulleys on each machine, and in addition there are many pulleys on the line-shaft. As the atmosphere is always more or less charged with dust, an appreciable quanti ty will be gatheredwithin the rim of each pulley and caused to adhere there by centrifugal force so long as the pulley remains in motion. WVhen the pulley comes to rest, however, this accumulated dust falls off the rim to the floor, and will form a pile under each pulley, sometimes amounting to a peck or more on a large pulley which has been constantly running for a week, as the custom is. The dust thus discharged upon the floor must be cleaned away, and it is equally necessary to brush out and cleanse the pulleys from that which does not fall away. If not removed, these accumulations of dust constitute highly-inflammable masses, which add greatly to fire risks. I propose to obviate this collection of dust and to avoid the labor and expense of cleansing the pulleys by closing their sides with disk-plates, which do not present any places to which centrifugal force can cause dust to adhere. As to the second point, in all industrial establishments where machinery is used the pulleys are constant sources of danger to those who are compelled to be occupied near them. It often happens that the pulleys on the line-shaft are located Within a few inches of each other, and it is often necessary for a workman to climb and put his hands between or close to them for some necessary adjustment of the belt, &c. Men are often injured and sometimes killed by accidental contact with the arms or projecting set-screws, &c., of the revolving pulleys. I propose to obviate these dangers by the same closing-plates, which cover in all the members which may inflict injury and cause the pulley to present a smooth surface everywhere externally.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective an ordinary pulley and one of the closing-plates detached. Fig. 2 represents in perspective the same pulley with the closing-plates applied. Figs. 3 and 4 are central sections of iron pulleys, showing my invention attached. Figs. 5, 6, 7, S, 9, and 10 are details.

A is an ordinary pulley, either of wood or metal, and constructed in any approved manher with arms, hub, and rim, as usual. accomplish my purposes I close the open ends of this pulley with thin plates, which may be attached to the pulley itself either at center or periphery, or both center and periphery; but when the pulley-face is widerthan the hub and is destitute of means for attaching the closing-plate at the periphery said plate may be supported by attachment to blocks 9 independently clamped to the shaft or hub, as the case may be.

Pulleys which are constructed with specific reference to the application of my closingplates will be provided with shoulder Z) in the inner side of the rim, near the edge, and if the hub is sufficiently long a similar shoulder cl in the same plane will be provided on the huh. I then prepare of proper material, generally of wood, thin disks E, the peripheries of which are accurately fitted to the inner sides of the rim and to rest on the shoulder b, (if there is one,) and having central orifices accurately fitted to the shoulder 01 of the hub, .or to the shaft S if the hub does not extend to the plane of the disk. One of these plates on each side of the pulley effectually closes it against entrance of dust or dirt of any kind, and as said plates are substantially flush with the ends of the pulley-rim there is no exposed surface to which centrifugal force can cause dust to adhere, and consequently the pulleys will run and remain substantially closed against the entrance or adhesion of dust or dirt. The surface of the plates being also smooth and without external angular projections, accidental contact of a limb will not incur risk of serious injury, and therefore the pulley so provided ceases to be an element of danger.

I am aware that pulleys with closed ends have heretofore been constructed; but in those cases the pulley was built up solid, or solid ends were substituted for the spoke-arms of the ordinary pulley. Such pulleys are the ordinary drum-pulleys, generally home-made and built upon the shaft. I am also aware that dynamometer or other pulleys with in ternal adjusted mechanism have been provided with plates to inclose said mechanism; but, so far as I am aware, such plates have not been used except with external angular fastenings, which would prevent their efliciency 1n avoiding injury. It will be perceived that neither one of these is like my improvement, and neither would be acceptable for the purposes to which my improvement is adapted, in the place of regularly-spoked pulleys provided with my thin removable closing-disks. Solid pulleys are too heavy for ordinary uses where my improvement applies, and those built up in the manner of drums would not only be too expensive for small pulleys but would be less strong on account of the joints necessarily made between the rim and the hub; but, aside from that, the number of open and spoked pulleys in use is immense, and my invention advantageously applies to them all without alteration or even removing them from their places.

In constructing my disks any material may be employed whichis suitable for the purpose in the place where the pulley does duty. In adapting them to wooden pulleys wood is most suitable. Vooden disks are also suitable for iron pulleys used in dry places, but for pulleys used in damp places metal or other dampproof material is best; but other material or fabric-such as paper, papier-mach, &c.- may be employed.

In making my disks of wood adapted to separable or other pulleys I have made them of thick veneers or shaved lumber, three thicknesses glued together with the grain crossing, so that they may be thin and light without risk of splitting. The central transverse joint is made with tongue and groove by arranging the tongue to be formed by the projecting cross-grain edge of the central veneer, as at h,

Fig. 9, and the corresponding groove is formed by the projecting cross-grain edges of the two external members or veneers, as at i. This renders both tongue and groove strong and unlikely to be disabled by splitting off of any part. This is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. One or more light inward ly-proj ecting radial wings -10 may be added to the disk on the inside to impart to the inclosed air a centrifugal tendency to escape at the periphery.

In Fig. 4 I represent a pulley having a face much wider than the length of the hub, and in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 I represent a supplemental hub made from two blocks g, clamped fast to the shaft, to which the disk may be fastened independent of the pulley itself.

From the above description it will be apparent that the disks E are useful in preventing accumulations of dust and in preventing accidental injuries to the limbs of persons who might otherwise ineautiously insert their hands or arms within the pulley while in motion, and not for the purpose of making inclosures for adjusted mechanism, and it will also be apparent that it will not always be required to close both sides of the pulley, because one side may already be protected by a wall or other fixed object.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A pulley havingarim and radial support therefor centrally located, and a hub as common, combined with removable closing exteriorly-smooth divided or sectional disks or plates, and non-projecting fastenings for the same adapted to close the open ends of said pulley, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of .a pulley provided with a central radial support with the twopart disks E, joined with tongue and groove formed by projecting cross-grained edges of the central and external members, as set forth.

3. The closing divided or sectional disk E, composed of three veneers or thin boards arranged so as to cross the grain, and with the cross-grain edges of the central member of one section projected to form the tongue on one side, and the projecting cross-grain edges of the external members of anothersection to constitute the groove, as set forth.

WALLACE H. DODGE.

\Vitnesses:

W. B. HosFoRD, R. D. 0. SMITH. 

